Why Brie Larson Didn't Say Yes To Playing Captain Marvel Right Away

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is due for some serious changes as it pushes through Phase 3 into the future. With a decade of stories under its belt, the MCU will soon shift its focus toward bringing an entirely new army of heroes into the fray. One such hero is Brie Larson's Captain Marvel (who will debut in next year's The Avengers: Infinity War), and it seems that the responsibility of portraying the character is not lost on Larson, who hesitated before agreeing to take the role. The Oscar-winning actress recently opened up regarding her decision to take on the character but she didn't take the decision lightly. She said:

It took me a really long time. I had to sit with myself, think about my life and what I want out of it. Ultimately, I couldn't deny the fact that this movie is everything I care about, everything that's progressive and important and meaningful, and a symbol I wished I would've had growing up. I really, really feel like it's worth it if it can bring understanding and confidence to young women---I'll do it.

Brie Larson's recent comments to Vanity Fair about her involvement in Captain Marvel pretty much say it all. The responsibility of playing Captain Marvel seemed overwhelming at first, but that's ultimately what made it worthwhile. This film isn't just important because it's the first ever live-action mainstream depiction of Carol Danvers on the silver screen; it's also important because it's the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film to allow a female hero to take center stage completely. In the face of the stress and burden that a role like Captain Marvel may cause her, Larson ultimately decided that receiving the opportunity to empower young girls with her performance would be reason enough to take on the daunting task.

Captain Marvel won't be the first female-fronted superhero film of the modern age, but it will still be one of the most important. Brie Larson's take on the character will come almost two years after Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman debuts, and both of these films will play vital roles in paving the way for future female superhero stories. In fact, if Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel both resonate with audiences, then it seems like that could open the doors for a Scarlett Johansson-led Black Widow movie to eventually materialize as well.

Despite the excitement surrounding Brie Larson's tenure as Carol Danvers, we currently have far more questions than answers regarding how she will factor into the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As of right now, Brie Larson is set to make her MCU debut in 2018 when The Avengers: Infinity War finally premieres, and Captain Marvel will premiere the following year on March 8. That has us wondering type of role Ms. Danvers will play in Infinity War, as well as the kind of story we will see when Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's solo movie debuts. Captain Marvel isn't the most well-known Marvel superhero (at least to mainstream audiences) so a thorough examination of her origins and abilities will likely be required. As Infinity War starts to come into focus, we're sure more answers will reveal themselves.

Captain Marvel is slated to debut in theaters on March 8, 2019. For now, you can catch Brie Larson in Ben Wheatley's Free Fire, which is currently in theaters.